Among Wolves
by BloodyBlueMoon
Summary: They may take the appearance of humans, but they’re not human; they’re wolves, and one among them is a wolf demon. Naruto, Sakura, Kiba, Ino and Shikamaru go camping for a week in Konoha Forest, but what if an old but famous Inuzuka myth was really true?
1. Prologue

"..." Talking  
'...' Thoughts

**Among Wolves**

_They may take the appearance of humans, but they're not human; they're wolves, and one among them is a wolf demon. Naruto, Sakura, Kiba, Ino and Shikamaru go camping for __a week in Konoha Forest, but what if an old but famous myth was really true?_

**Prologue**

Naruto and Sakura walked to the ramen bar after training to meet with Kiba, Ino and Shikamaru, both excited about that afternoon.

But Naruto, even though excited, was quiet, too quiet for even Sakura to bear.

"Uh, Naruto…is something wrong?" she asked, trying to see his eyes that watched the cloudless sky.

"Hmm, oh, no, there's nothing wrong, Sakura-chan. I was just thinking…" his voice trailed slightly as he finished his sentence.

There was a long pause of silence between the two, agonising silence that seemed to go on forever, until Sakura broke it once more.

"About what?" she asked.

He shrugged as he put his hands behind his head, "Nothing really, just…" he trailed off, not wanting to say it because he knew it was a stupid question.

"Just…?" Sakura urged.

Naruto sighed, "About what a myth is…"

Sakura almost sighed in relief, "Is that all? You must be serious about it to be so quiet. Well, a myth is something that is thought to be true, but really isn't; basically, it's a story that is told through the generations, each clan having a different myth, in order to explain the way things happen"

"Yeah, I know that…but, what if a myth was true?" Naruto asked, his eyes never leaving the sky until they finally reached the ramen bar, where they were greeted by Kiba and Akamaru, Ino, and Shikamaru.

"Hey guys" Sakura greeted as Naruto rushed in.

"Yay, Yay, Yay, Ramen, Ramen, Ramen!" Naruto exclaimed before he ordered.

Sakura shook her head as she sat next to Ino, but was grateful that her hyperactive blonde team mate was back to his usual self.

"Hey, Sakura, is something wrong, you seem puzzled" Ino said.

Sakura shook her head, her brow furrowing slightly in thought.

"So, are we all ready for this afternoon?" Kiba asked enthusiastically.

Akamaru barked, the two girls smiled, Naruto was giving muffled calls of excitement behind his mouthful of ramen, and Shikamaru sighed, but you could tell that he was excited too.

"But, you've got to remember our plans; meet at the gate at about 3pm, but only bring what you need, basically weapons and sleeping things, otherwise, we'll be hunting for food in the forest while we're camping" Kiba said.

The other's nodded, remembering a few days ago when they decided they would go camping for a week in Konoha Forest.

They finished lunch at about 1:30pm, giving them time to prepare and meet at the gate by 3pm.

Ino and Sakura walked back to their houses the same way after lunch, both silent as they became lost in their own thoughts for a while.

"So, what's up?" Ino asked.

"Huh?"

"You seemed out of it at the ramen bar, so I'm asking what's wrong" Ino said.

"Oh…um, not now, I need a little more time to think over it, but I'll tell you later, I promise" Sakura said.

Ino was wary towards her friend and rival, but brushed the matter aside before they headed down different streets.

--

Later that day, the 5 friends met at the gate when it had reached 3pm, each bubbling with excitement, each anxious.

"Alright, everyone all set?" Kiba asked, grinning.

Naruto had a grin on his face, while Sakura and Ino exchanged glances, smiling.

Shikamaru sighed, but had a small smile curving from his mouth.

"Let's go!" Naruto cried and the group set off towards the forest.

"Hey, Ino, can I ask you something?" Sakura said to the blond kunoichi beside her.

"Yeah, sure, anything you like" Ino replied, turning to Sakura.

"Well, Naruto asked me this as we were coming to the ramen bar, and now he's got me thinking about it, but, what if a myth was true?"

* * *

Ok guys, I've finally gotten around to starting a new story.

Similar, Yet So Different, my first story, will have chapters added to it when I get my head around some things.

But anyway, I wasn't sure what to call this, so I just called it 'Among Wolves'. If anyone has any better ideas, I would be grateful for some ideas; and, yes, I am aware that there isn't much to follow at the moment, but I will try to have the next chapter or so up by Sunday.

Hope you like it so far!

BloodyBlueMoon


	2. Myth

**Among Wolves**

**Chapter 1 – Myth**

"This should be a good place to camp" Kiba said as they landed in a wide, open clearing, a river running through it before disappearing back into the trees.

It was now 5:30pm when they did, and darkness was falling quickly; now, only half the sky was lit up by the amber glow of the setting sun.

They were downstream, so it made it easier to catch fish, but they didn't realize they were up wind, making it easier for them to be hunted.

"Now what?" Naruto asked when no one moved.

"Well, we should start by setting up camp, so maybe Ino, Shikamaru and Kiba could set up the tents, while Naruto and I go and find some fire-wood, and when we come back, we can all go hunting to find something to eat" Sakura suggested.

Kiba and Shikamaru shrugged before they started on their own tents, while Naruto and Sakura equipped himself with weapons.

"You owe me for this" Ino said as she walked up to Sakura.

Sakura smiled, "I know" she said before she and Naruto returned to the shadows of the trees.

Ino sighed and shook her head, walking over to her things to start on her own tent.

--

_Ancient and pure, it is t__heir_ _song of the wind and that of the moon._

--

It was now getting closer to 6pm, and Sakura had only found enough firewood to last about a night or so.

'Maybe Naruto's gathered more' she thought as she stooped to pick up another long stick, but, as she straightened, the wood started slipping from her grasp.

In the shadows of a tall oak tree about 10 meters away, a tall boy of about 16 stood, watching her silently as he leant against the tree.

Sakura didn't move as her eyes fixed on him; he bore tattoos over his face and shoulders, which possibly extended down his back, however Sakura couldn't see what they were of, but, what really caught her gaze were his eyes.

They were amber, wild, steady, elegant and proud, and as clear as sunlight in spring water, full of wisdom, knowledge, power, freedom…

The wood finally slipped from her grasp and crashed to the ground by her feet.

Startled, Sakura gave a cry of surprise, and stooped to pick the pile up again when she realised what had happened, but, when she looked back to where the boy stood, he wasn't there.

Could she have imagined him?

"Sakura-chan!" called Naruto from a distance.

Sakura's head snapped around as she heard him crashing through the forest.

"I'm here, Naruto!" she called back, and Naruto appeared moments later with armfuls of firewood.

"You ready to head back?" he asked.

Sakura looked back to where the boy had stood, puzzled at his disappearance.

"Sakura-chan…?" Naruto asked, taking a few steps towards her crouching figure.

"It's nothing, I thought I saw something, but the shadows were probably playing tricks on me. C'mon, we'll head back, it's almost dark" Sakura said, standing and heading back to camp with Naruto, but not before taking a final glance at where he had once stood.

--

_Amber eyes, wild, steady, elegant and proud, as clear as sunlight in spring water; filled with __wisdom, knowledge, power, freedom…_

--

The fire had been lit and some birds and rabbits had been caught to eat; it wasn't much, but it was enough until the next morning.

They had all eaten and had been swapping stories through the night.

Sakura had told one about ancient clans, Ino had told one about people called mind walkers, who were people able to control another's mind, Naruto had told one about foxes, and Shikamaru had told one about the early people of his clan and the deer; now, it was Kiba's turn.

"C'mon, Kiba, tell us one!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Yeah, hurry up, Kiba!" Ino urged.

Kiba chuckled, "Ok, ok, I've got one. Well, it starts with the beginning of the clans, when clans like the Ookami clans, Kitsune clans, Kawauso clan, Kuma clans, Inoshishi clan and the Azarashi clan existed.

"But, each of the main clans were at war with each other. Each clan came from a different land; the Ookami came from the land of Demons, the Kitsune and Kuma from the Fire, Kawauso from the Waterfall, Inoshishi from the Earth and the Azarashi from the Water.

"In the end, no one seemed to win and returned to their land, but, the Ookami clans resorted to the Forests, and not all went back to the land of Demons. The Ookami clans consisted of the Ippiki-Ookami clan, half of which returned to the land of Demons; the Garou clan, half of which found a place in the land of Lightning, and the Hakurou clan, half of which went to the land of Snow, but the rest stayed in the land of Fire.

"The Ookami clans had tattoos that were never the same among them; some had them on their face, others on their shoulders, arms, backs, chest, and legs, even on the backs of hands, but, the only things that made them recognisable, were the three, claw like tattoos on their left cheek, and their amber eyes that made it seem like you were looking into your own soul. And, the people of the Ookami clans weren't human, but wolves, even if they took the human form.

"They formed an alliance with the Kitsune clans and helped rid the land of Fire of the Kuma clans, which retreated to the land of Snow, the land of Void, and the land of Earth.

"Over thousands of years, the clans started to die out for no apparent reason, until the Kitsune clans, Kawauso clan, Kuma clans, Inoshishi clan and the Azarashi clan had died, but, because they were the only clan to survive, the Ookami clans were said to be the cause of it all, killing off prey that the other clans needed to survive, and when only they were left in the forest, they were named the Wolves of Konoha"

Once Kiba had finished, they all felt cold, despite the warmth of the fire before them.

"Damn…where'd you pick up such a story, Kiba?" Shikamaru said, staring into the heart of the fire.

"It's been tossed about my clan for generations, but I don't know what it has to do with my clan anyway. It's just a myth, though, it's not like its true or anything" Kiba said, petting Akamaru.

Silence fell over the camp for a while before Naruto spoke.

"But…what if it was true…what if…a myth wasn't just a myth…what if a myth was true?" he asked, staring into the flames.

"Then it wouldn't be a myth, dumb-ass, and we wouldn't be camping out here if it was. In the myth, the Ookami were the strongest among clans after they and the Kitsune clans drove out the Kuma clans, and then they managed to kill off all the other clans single-handed" Kiba said.

"What about their tattoos…what did they look like?" Sakura asked quietly.

"I think they were claw like markings, and they were on their faces, shoulders, arms, backs, chests, and legs, even on the backs of their hands, but they always had three, claw like markings on their left cheek which made them recognisable" Kiba explained.

Sakura watched the flames dancing before her eyes, 'That boy had tattoos…were they…claw like…?'

Shikamaru suddenly stood, stretching with a yawn, "It's all too troublesome, so, I'm off to sleep" he said before entering his tent.

Naruto suddenly stretched too with a yawn and got to his feet, "I think I'll go to sleep too; 'night guys" he said, entering his tent like Shikamaru.

After a while, Ino entered her tent too, leaving Sakura and Kiba by the slowly dimming fire.

Akamaru yawned and placed his head on Kiba's knee, his eyes heavy and tired.

"I think we'll hit the hay too" Kiba said as he and Akamaru stood, "What about you?"

Sakura didn't look up from the fire, "I think I'll sit here for a little longer"

Kiba nodded, "Alright; good night, Sakura" he said before entering his tent.

Sakura stared into the amber flames of the fire, thinking of the boys' eyes as the wind picked up slightly.

She finally stood and entered her tent, falling asleep as faint howls seemed to dance on the wind.

* * *

Hey guys!

Here's the first chapter of Among Wolves.

I hope you all like it, and I'll try and get the next chapter up asap!

Please read and review, and then, if you have any ideas, I would greatly appreciate them!


	3. His name

"..." Talking

**Among Wolves**

**Chapter 2 – His Name…**

--

_Their song is hear-wrenching and pure, dancing on the wind_

--

It was before sunrise when Sakura woke.

Her sleep had been restless, and she felt tired and thirsty, but found herself wondering about the boy she had merely seen the day before.

She stumbled to the river and drank, then awoke the sleeping fire with more wood.

Could she have imagined the boy? Had the shadows been playing tricks on her?

No, she had seen the boy, she hadn't imagined him, and the shadows hadn't been playing tricks on her.

But why should she care? She probably wouldn't see him again anyway.

She thought of looking for the boy, but, she probably wouldn't find him. So instead, she dressed and went to look for a good spot to set some traps.

After a while, Sakura had managed to set some fish hooks further down the river and went for a walk to give them some time.

She had no clue to where she was going, but, for some strange reason, it felt like the forest was pulling her into its depths for some brief moments, before everything returned to normal.

Sakura leant against a tall tree that cast looming shadows about her.

But, moments later, she was startled by a brief rustle, and she cursed herself for forgetting her kunai pouch.

She looked about and found a stick by her foot; it was about 3cm thick and about 70cm long, but it would have to do.

Sakura stooped and picked it up slowly, trying to concentrate on where the figure was, and swung around to hit it as it came up behind her, but strangely, it didn't strike.

"Whoa there, I didn't mean to startle you" said a male voice that sounded about her age, but heart-wrenching and pure.

Sakura spun around to meet the amber gaze of the boy she had merely seen the day before.

She wrenched the stick out of the boys' grasp and stepped backwards, standing a few meters from him with the stick held ready.

However, the boy seemed to laugh as he held his hands up, but, his laugh was gruff and chaffing.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you" he said, his eyes fixing on hers.

Sakura met his gaze, and, for some strange reason, it felt like she was staring into her own soul.

His eyes held truth, and, when she sensed he meant no harm, she lowered the stick, and he lowered his hands, but her body was still tensed.

"So, what brings you to Konoha Forest?" he asked, leaning against the tree.

Sakura was silent for a moment as she watched him warily before she relaxed, "I'm camping here for a week with some friends"

He nodded, but, for a fleeting moment, he didn't seem to approve.

"Who are you?" Sakura asked after a moment's pause.

He smiled slightly, "My name is Kohaku of the Wolf clans, and yours?"

"Haruno Sakura, but, why are you here?" Sakura said, tensing again.

He smiled, baring fang like teeth.

"We live here, this is the forest my clans live in" he replied.

Finally, Sakura realized; they were standing near the oak tree where Sakura had first seen this boy, and Kohaku had claw like tattoos over his shoulders that extended down his back and over his bare chest, and three, claw like tattoos on his left cheek.

"Is…something wrong, Miss Haruno?" he asked.

Sakura looked into his eyes again, but found that he averted her gaze.

"No, nothing's wrong, I was just thinking" she replied.

He nodded, "About that Ookami myth, right?"

Sakura held her breath.

It was like he had just read her thoughts by merely meeting her gaze.

"Uh…y-yeah…" she replied.

"Don't worry, I'm --" he cut off as his head snapped around and to where he had come from, as if he had heard something, but Sakura didn't hear a thing.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go. I look forward to meeting you again, Haruno Sakura" he said before heading back into the shadows, but not before pausing to take one last glance at her and then disappearing out of sight.

--

_Before entering their final retreat, they will pause to take one last look, before disappearing out of site…_

--

Sakura trudged back into camp with no fish in hand.

Kohaku had cut off, but had he been trying to tell her he wasn't one of the fabled Ookami, or something else?

"Sakura-chan!" called the familiar voice of Naruto that snatched her from her thoughts.

She looked up as her blonde, hyper-active team mate came running up to her.

"Hey, Naruto" she said, sounding calmer than she felt.

"Where've you been, Sakura-chan; we've been looking for you!" Naruto exclaimed.

"I…" Sakura was about to tell Naruto of Kohaku, but then remembered the fishing hooks she had placed, but found empty, "I was fishing, but I didn't catch anything; I didn't really expect to be gone so long"

Naruto's gaze relaxed as he sighed, "Well, not to worry, we've caught plenty of food"

Sakura nodded as she followed him into camp, and was soon to be greeted by Ino.

"Hey, we've been looking for you all morning" Ino said.

Sakura looked around for a moment before she led Ino over to the tents.

"What's wrong?" Ino asked.

"I was out fishing, right, and I didn't tell anyone yesterday, but I thought I saw a boy of about our age standing by an oak tree, and today, while I was out fishing, I really did see him and I spoke to him" Sakura said, but just a bit louder than a whisper.

Ino looked confused, "Wait, so you mean that there's someone living in Konoha Forest?"

Sakura nodded, "But, not just a boy, but whole clans!"

"What did you say this boys' name was?"

"I didn't, but his name's Kohaku, and he's of the Wolf clans that live in this forest. But, the really strange thing was that he had tattoos over him just like the Ookami clans in Kiba's myth did, and the exact same eyes!" Sakura said.

"But, it was just a --"

"I know it was just a myth, but I swear he did, and then he tried to tell me something, but he cut off and had to leave" Sakura said.

Ino was looking at her with disbelief, but also looked puzzled.

"H-Have you told Kiba yet?"

Sakura shook her head, "No, but if I am to tell anyone else, they'll have to come along and meet him"

Ino gasped, "You mean…we're going to go and find him?"

Sakura nodded, "Yes, tonight, after everyone's asleep. Are you up for this?"

Ino didn't say anything at first, but then nodded wildly with a smile, "Of course I'm coming, I mean, who wouldn't!"

Sakura smiled, "C'mon, let's have something to eat and you can help me check the hooks after lunch"

Ino nodded, following Sakura excitedly.

--

_Silent as falling snow, trying to catch them is like trying to catch smoke with bare hands…_

--

Once lunch was finished, Ino and Sakura wandered down to the fish hooks Sakura had placed, Ino bouncing with excitement.

"So, what time do you think we should leave?" Ino asked.

Sakura shrugged, "I don't know, maybe about mid--" she cut off as they stopped where Sakura had placed the fish hooks, but to find total chaos.

* * *

Hey all!

Sorry this took so long, I got stuck, but I'll try and get the third chapter up and running asap!

Anyway, yes, it's a cliff hanger, and I'm sorry to put all you readers in total misery, but I had to do this, it's just too fun!

But I hope you all like it and please review. **If you have any ideas for the next chapter they would be greatly appreciated!**

Thank you to all the people who have read and commented this story so far, and I'll try and get the next chapter up asap!

Ja ne!


	4. Someone Different

"..." Talking  
'...' Thoughts  
**"..." Demon Speech  
**

**Among Wolves**

**Chapter 3 – Someone Different**

Where Sakura had placed the fish hooks, the area was in total chaos.

The fishing lines had been brought up and the bones of fish had been nibbled clean. The lines had been snapped and the hooks had been smashed on the torn up ground.

"W-what the hell happened here?!" Ino managed to say after a while.

Sakura shook her head in disbelief as she walked forward to examine the ground.

"Paw prints…no, wait, there are hand prints too…" Sakura muttered to her-self as she examined what had torn up the ground.

"Hey, Sakura…look over there" Ino breathed and Sakura looked up.

About 20 meters away, a girl was sitting on a rock that stuck out over the river. Even from a distance, Sakura could spot the three, claw like tattoos on her face and even over her forearms.

Sakura slowly stood and walked towards the girl, Ino following cautiously, before she stopped about 5 meters away from the rock.

She saw the girl tense before she turned around and met Sakura's emerald gaze. Sakura felt frozen in place as she met her gaze, and couldn't tear herself away from the girl's amber gaze. She had eyes just like Kohaku, but hers churned with fire, hatred, evil…

"Who are you?" she asked, walking towards them.

"H-Haruno Sakura; and you?" Sakura rasped back.

The girl smirked as she slowed her walk down. "Flai of the Wolf clan"

Sakura slowly nodded.

Then, Flai bore her fangs in a smile as she walked past Sakura and Ino, "I see this isn't the first time you've heard of us. And, you've met my mate, Kohaku"

Sakura couldn't swallow, couldn't breathe…

Flai then chuckled, "Thought so. Well, I'll be seeing you then" she said as she walked to the edge of the forest, and then looked back at the two before disappearing into the shadows of the trees.

After a moment, Sakura found her-self gasping for air and trembling slightly.

"Whoa, that was freaky. Everything went cold and you went rigid" Ino said.

Sakura swallowed heavily. She had never felt such fear in her life, and Flai's eyes had burnt into her mind so she would never forget them.

"I think we should head back until everyone's asleep before we go looking for Kohaku" Sakura finally managed to say before the two started heading back for camp.

--

Midnight fell quickly and Sakura and Ino crept through the moonlit forest.

It was the night of the harvest moon, and only a few nights away from an eclipse.

"Sakura, do you know where we're going?" Ino breathed.

"It's a bit hard to see, but I'm pretty sure we're going the right way" Sakura replied.

Apart from the occasional snap of a twig under their feet, their breathing, or their occasional talking, the forest was dead silence. Nothing moved, nothing swayed, nothing breathed; the silence was deafening.

After another 10 minutes or so, they finally reached the tall, looming oak tree, where they were met by a pair of familiar amber eyes.

"Kohaku…" Sakura breathed, but didn't get the reply she was hoping for.

"Kohaku's gone hunting with the alpha and some other members of the clan, so he's not here" replied Flai's cold voice as she stepped out from the deeper shadows. But she didn't leave the lighter shadows and step into the red, moonlit clearing as if it were poison.

"Flai-san…" Sakura said.

Flai nodded once before her gaze drifted to the canopy of the trees.

"You shouldn't be out this late…horrible things come out on nights like this" Flai said, a warning edged in her voice.

"Like what?" Ino asked nervously.

Suddenly, Flai grinned, baring ivory white fangs. "I'm surprised you haven't heard them yet, but, I guess that's expected of humans"

The air grew colder, and the wind hit them like thousands of ice needles.

"What are you getting at?" Sakura asked, but she was answered with spine chilling yowls that resounded in the distance.

Flai's grin never ceased to exist, and something full of malice and evil churned in the depths of her amber eyes.

"W-what was that…?" Ino asked.

Flai laughed, and it sent shivers down the length of their spines. "Something beyond your imagination"

Sakura couldn't think properly. It was as if her thoughts had fled, along with her strength.

Was this a Genjutsu? No, if it was, Sakura would have noticed by now. Maybe Flai was just messing with them, or was there really something out there?

"That didn't sound human…" Sakura finally spoke, and Flai gave her a mocking grin.

"It didn't sound human, but are you sure it _was_ human?"

"Y-you mean…?"

Flai slowly nodded, and whatever was churning in the depths of her eyes seemed to become even more evil.

"B-but, that's impossible. Konoha Forest surrounds the village; Konoha ninja have passed through the forest. If they came across something like a demon, the village would know-" Sakura was cut off with a menacing laugh from Flai.

"Miss Haruno, when groups of ninja are sent on missions through this Forest, they are normally sent in groups of 3 to 5, maybe more on some occasions, correct?" she asked.

Sakura didn't know where Flai was getting at, but she nodded in agreement.

"When in smaller groups, they are normally the more skilled ninja, while in larger groups, they are not as skilled. But, no matter how many ninja are sent on a mission, one always goes missing, right?" Flai said, her eyes seeming almost mocking.

Once again, Sakura nodded. "But, there is always the occasion that one dies on the mission"

Flai nodded, "True, but, that's only part of the time. Normally all ninja come back alive, if not, one has died on the mission, but, what if they don't come back, but they haven't died on the mission?"

Sakura froze again, "You mean…?"

Flai gave a mocking smile, "The demons of this Forest killed them for their own taking"

Once again, the wind picked up, stinging them like thousands of ice needles, and the spine chilling yowls were heard again, but this time, wolf howls resounded with them.

**"Ah, the hunting party has finally found what they were looking for. Well, I guess I'll be seeing you around"** Flai smiled, her voice more of a menacing and blood-thirsty growl as she stepped into the red moonlight, leaving Sakura and Ino completely frozen and horrified.

* * *

Well, it's been a while...a long while, that is.

I hope I made up for my absence, I just didn't have any inspiration, and I've been working on other things, but now I'm on holidays, so I should have a bit more time to add another chapter.

But I'm going to be evil and leave you with a cliff hanger!

I'll try and add the next chapter soon!

Ja ne.


	5. A Different Kind Of Demon

"..." Talking  
'...' Thoughts  
**"..." Demon Speech**

**Among Wolves**

**Chapter 4 – A Different Kind Of Demon**

You could almost see the anger and hate pulsing through her as black chakra radiated from her body, and once Flai had stepped into the red moonlight, she hardly resembled a human.

She had changed so quickly that all Sakura and Ino remembered was her body exploding in a mass of white and black fur, with long talons for claws, canine teeth protruding from her upper jaw that overlapped the bottom, long spines protruding from her back, and pupil-less, amber eyes that churned like liquid fire.

She resembled a wolf, but I giant one at that, one that looked much, much bigger than a grizzly bear, and more so a wolf demon with the rare human traits that were barely noticeable.

And Sakura and Ino were frozen, unable to swallow, to scream, to breath. Now they were truly like prey to a predator.

A cold, coughing laugh reverberated from Flai's throat, sending trembles through their bodies.

"**You two look like deer caught in the eyes of a predator! HA, you can't move you're so scared! You two should hear your heartbeats; I'm surprised your hearts haven't failed yet. But it will hit you, sooner or later"** Flai growled in what seemed to be an amused tone.

"**Well, at least it makes it easier for me to kill you. It's a shame, though; I was looking forward to some fun"** she crouched in her place, ready to spring, but when she did, something collided with her, sounding like crashing boulders a she was propelled into – and through – a tree by a wolf just a giant as she was.

But this wolf was different. This wolf didn't look like the demon he had hurled himself into. This wolf just looked like a normal wolf, with different shades of russet and black molded through white fur.

"_Enough, Flai"_the wolf said, his bright amber eyes locked on Flai, who slowly got to her feet with a threatening snarl.

And although the snarl sent tremors through their bodies, the calming voice seemed to unfreeze Sakura and Ino, and they would've hit the ground if Naruto and Shikamaru hadn't caught them as they collapsed.

"_You don't want to do this, Flai."_ The calming voice said again, but this time, his hackles rose, and two other giant wolves emerged from the shadows. One was jet black with a white 'X' over its face, while the other was beige and light brown with one white foot, his white face mottled with black spots, and smaller than the other giant wolves.

Kiba and Akamaru suddenly hurtled through the trees, panting heavily as they doubled over, gasping for air.

"Are…you guys…alright…?" Kiba panted. Somehow, he seemed to know what was going on.

Sakura and Ino nodded feebly, their eyes never leaving the terrifying, yet engrossing sight before them as they trembled in the arms of their team-mates.

"Looks like the myth was true after all…" Kiba sighed, rubbing the back of his head as he watched to the russet, black and white wolf fend off the black and white wolf demon.

"Who's…who's the russet, black and white wolf, Kiba…?" Sakura whispered.

Kiba's body went ridged before he sighed heavily. "That's…Kohaku-san. The wolf with the white 'X' across his face is Juujika, and the beige, brown, black and white wolf is Yaku. There are more of them, and their alpha, Roukai, is keeping them calm" his voice was barely audible, just above a whisper, but it was loud enough for Sakura, Ino, Naruto and Shikamaru to hear.

Sakura nodded sharply before turning to Naruto. "I'll think I'll be ok. You can let me go, Naruto"

Her blonde haired team mate hesitated for a moment. "Are you sure, Sakura-chan?"

She nodded again, "I'm sure. Now please let me go"

Again, Naruto hesitated, but lifted her to her feet, standing close to her so he could catch her if she collapsed.

Another thunderous snarl emitted from Flai's colossal chest, shaking the forest surrounding them and the earth below their feet, but Kohaku matched it with enough effort, and Flai stepped back a pace.

But what really surprised the small group of Konoha ninja was what happened next.

A vicious shudder rippled through Flai, and, within moments, she had phased back to being 'human', sitting on her haunches as shudders rippled through her and Kohaku, now in his own 'human' form, crouched before her and wrapped his arms around her body, crooning to her, trying to calm her silent sobs.

As the small group of Konoha ninja watched, they could almost see the apparent, painstaking love between the two, and Sakura and Ino understood what Flai had meant when she had addressed Kohaku to be her 'mate'.

She didn't mean they were friends, but lovers, Flai Kohaku's 'mate', and he hers.

The other two wolves known as Juujika and Yaku, who hadn't phased yet, shifted uneasily on their colossal paws, exchanging uneasy glances before they finally came to a decision and took to their 'human' forms.

Juujika was a tall boy, but not nearly as tall as Kohaku, and actually looking 16 years old. His hair was jet black and his skin was softly tanned, his eyes a more grey-amber than the vivid amber Kohaku's held. His build was lean, but slender for lean, and to accompany the three claw tattoos on his left cheek was a white 'X' painted over his face, appearing to be permanent.

Yaku, however, was at least a head-and-a-bit shorter then Juujika, his tanned skin lighter than the other boys as well. He also looked younger, possibly 14 and a half, rather than 16 or however old Kohaku was. He looked more nimble that Juujika and Kohaku, too, which made the small party of ninja wonder if he was able to withstand an onslaught from Flai if it had come down to it. Like the other Wolf clan members, he had three, claw tattoos on his left cheek, but to accompany them, his face was mottled with black spots, nearly seeming out of place, but he couldn't be imagined without them. Still, his hair was beige and brown, and his left hand was white to the middle of his forearm.

Slowly, almost hesitant, Kiba and Akamaru wandered over to the two boys, and Shikamaru put Ino on her feet.

But Sakura paid no attention to them, for her eyes never left the two that stayed together at the edge of the clearing.

Still trying to comfort her, Kohaku chanted to her softly, running his fingers through her silky black hair and rocked them back and forth ever-so-slightly.

Flai's face glistened with wet tears in the moonlight, but, for some strange reason, her back glistened with a wet substance too.

Then, Sakura's eyes widened as she realized that her back was glistening with a thick layer of blood, and she quickly raced over to help.

But, realizing her actions and how much like wolves they were, she slowed down to a cautious walk so much as not to startle them, even when Kohaku looked up at her when she was closer than 2 meters from them.

"Is…is she alright?" Sakura asked as she dropped to her knees by the two, hesitant to be so close to the being that had tried to kill her and Ino.

Kohaku nodded. "She's a bit shaken, but yes, she'll be ok"

"What about these wounds; surely they're causing her pain?"

He shook his head. "No, they cause little pain to an immortal. But, she's upset because she didn't mean to attack you. You didn't need to see her like that, and she's so very sorry she did that to you. She only gets like this when she's angry or hungry. But, to tell the truth, she hasn't eaten in a while, and she was disgruntled when she heard that you and your friends were camping in our forest"

Sakura nodded, and hesitated for a moment before asking. "I know she's an immortal, but will she mind if I heal her wounds?"

"They will heal faster than normal wounds, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt"

Again, Sakura nodded before setting to work, and almost 5 minutes later, Kiba had wondered over, asking if the three were alright. When the three nodded and Flai apologized softly, he aimed to wander back to Shikamaru, Naruto and Ino, but was stopped when a tall, gruff and lean looking man raced out of the trees and came trotting over to where Kiba and Sakura were with Kohaku and Flai.

His hair was a silvery white, not to mention long and that he had pulled it back into a pony-tail that cascaded down lean back, brown and black eagle feathers entwined in it. His eyes, like Kohaku's were vibrant amber that seemed to reflect and hold sunlight themselves, filled with worry, concern, and a hint of anger.

"Is she alright, Kohaku?" he asked in a soft, but strong voice, one that resembled that of a true leader.

Kohaku nodded and muttered a, "Yes, Alpha Roukai"

"On the behalf of my clan, I apologize for what went on in this clearing. I hope there is some way we can repay you" he had addressed Sakura that time, whom nodded and accepted with a smile.

The tall man nodded, seeming a little less troubled before he turned to Kiba and studied him with sharp, knowledgeable eyes.

"Inuzuka Kiba, I assume?"

Kiba swallowed and nodded timidly before the man that towered over him, but was surprised when Roukai smiled.

"I thought as much. How's your mother, Tsume?" he asked, suppressing a chuckle at Kiba's expression.

"She's…well, but…how do you know my mother when your clan is supposed to be a myth?"

"Myth?! HA! Who told you such a ridiculous thing? We're only believed a myth because we've remained elusive to the majority of human eyes."

Kiba swallowed heavily before uttering a quiet apology.

"Ah, not to worry, boy; you were misled by a fool. Now, I know it will be awkward, staying with a pack of wolves, but I believe some of my hunting party destroyed your campsite?"

Kiba smiled sheepishly and bounded over to the others to tell them of the near future events.

Roukai walked swiftly over to Juujika and Yaku, telling them to fetch what they could of the ninja's destroyed things at the campsite, who disappeared into the trees after a final glance, and Roukai stood at the edge of the clearing, waiting for the remaining beings in the clearing.

Once Sakura had finished healing Flai, Kohaku hoisted her up into his arms, holding her tightly as she constantly apologized, and Sakura constantly said she had forgiven her and she didn't need to beat herself up.

But as they followed Roukai, Sakura was surprised to see this side of Flai, though she had never thought of it as impossible to see.

* * *

Wow, it's been so long.

Sorry for the wait, but I've been busy with school work and I had no inspiration for this until tonight.

There will be at least another chapter to this, and I'm on holidays so you hopefully won't have to wait.

Well, hope you guys enjoy!

Ja ne!


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